Yesterday, Detroit-based national mortgage company Quicken Loans announced their millionth closed loan with a letter on their homepage (written in Comic Sans, no less) from founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert, a full-page ad in USA TODAY and a truly entertaining “mini-movie” about the guy who is put “in charge” of watching for the “millionth loan.”

Urban Optiques provided the sunglasses that appear on the two “men in black” in the elevator, the guys charged with making sure the millionth loan arrives safely to its destination.

The featured sunglasses are the Badgley Mischka Charles and the Prada PR65HS.  Both are rectangle-shaped aviators. Great choices to get that FBI/Secret Service/Private Security dude look.

You can watch the entire video below.  Make sure you sit through the entire story, the film flips style toward the end and there is a very cool surprise twist.

On behalf of the team at Urban Optiques, we’d like to congratulate everyone at Quicken Loans (many of whom are patients and clients of Urban Optiques) on achieving 1 million closed loans!

Okay, summer is pretty much over, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of sun-filled mornings and afternoons ahead of you requiring a great pair of shades.

In celebration of the Fall fashion season, 944 Detroit and Urban Optiques are giving away another fab pair of couture sunglasses:  This time a pair of  Special Edition Badgley Mischka Boyd acetate aviators  with 18K white gold couture lenses valued at $780 dollars.

A unisex sunglass, the Boyd has been spotted on everyone from Brad Pitt to singer Kelly Rowland to models Heidi Klum and Alessandra Ambrosio.  While the Boyd is celeb favorite, no one has yet been seen in the Special Edition version of the Boyd we are giving away this month.  So if you win the Boyd, you’ll be setting the trend here.

How Do I Enter to Win?

Entering for a chance to win these lux sunglasses from Badgley Mischka Eyewear, Urban Optiques and 944 Detroit is easy: Just click over to the 944 Detroit Swag page and fill out the short registration form (it’s only a couple of fields.)  Not only will you be entered in the sunglass giveaway, but you’ll also have a chance at winning a print by emerging local artist Mark Sarmel.

In April we teased all of you with a promise that the “Maria Sherapova” Sunglasses from Tag Heuer were about to arrive at Urban Optiques.

Okay, it took a little longer than expected, but we just received the first Maria Sherapova signature sunglass in from Tag Heuer and it’s amazing:

Sporty ladies are going to love everything about this fab slightly-oversized acetate frame from Tag Heuer.  To us it whispers drinks courtside after a hard doubles match or top-down in the convertible with the wind in your hair on a Sunday afternoon.  A cute tennis outfit can’t hurt. While it’s definitely a sporty frame — it’s not a sports-frame — meaning we’d advise against wearing it during your tennis match (unless you want to see your precious suns in pieces.) This piece is all about the pre-and-after game.

Maria herself helped design this sunglass and it’s the first piece to be released in the new Maria Sherapova Eyewear Collection from Tag Heuer — the luxury watch brand’s first collection of eyewear specifically designed for  women. Look for a full optical line of women’s eyewear from Tag Heuer to debut later this year.

The Maria Sherapova sunglass comes in black or tortoise and can be fitted with prescription lenses.

Just in time for the Fall eyewear season, we picked up a 3/4 page Q&A in the Northville Record!

Not only were we thrilled with the coverage, but we are also extremely pleased with how well it represents who we are, what we do and what we believe sets us apart from nearly every other Metro-Detroit eyewear boutique and optometrist.

Check it out (click on the image for larger version):

Accessorizing eyewear with other pieces in your wardrobe is often less about the eyewear, and more about the rest of the outfit.

Today’s look, which again features the Loree Rodkin Hunter Special  Edition sunglasses, is the perfect example.

The first words that usually come out of people’s mouths when they see the Loree Rodkin Eyewear Collection is “edgy” or “gothic.”  And it’s true:  Loree’s distinct style of jewelry and eyewear design is rife with daggers, skulls, serpentine embellishments and crosses.

So you might be tempted to think the only way to wear her jewelry or eyewear is with a pair of leather pants and stilettos.

But as many of Loree Rodkin’s devotees will attest, her designs are combined with formal wear all of the time.  Watch the red carpet at any Hollywood or major fashion event, and you’ll likely see at least one luminary wearing Loree’s jewelry alongside their couture dress.  A quick glance at Loree Rodkin’s press book will settle any lingering doubts you might have.

The key to accessorizing the Loree Rodkin Eyewear line is to treat it like jewelry. When stylists put their clients in Loree Rodkin jewelry, they will typically use it either as a surprising contrast against an elegant or chic outfit, or will use it to amplify an already edgy look.  Because the designs are so striking, a little bit of Loree Rodkin goes a long way.

Just to prove it, we put together a look today with the Loree Rodkin Hunter that is night-and-day from the last pairing we did.

For this outfit, we built everything around a Derek Lam wool crepe dress from Saks.  While the jewelry, shoes and handbag all play off from the browns and silvers in the Hunter sunglasses, this is a daytime look that most women could pull off.  The Report Signature booties could easily be swapped with this pair of Stuart Weitzman croc slingback, the Bally Eddi pumps or L.A.M.B. Finsburys if you wanted to tone things down even more.

Of course, the real icing on the cake are the Hunters, which give this fairly conservative, but still chic, ensemble just a little bit of danger — especially when paired up with the John Hardy Naga head ring, stainless steel leather cuff bracelet and truly amazing Donald J Pilner chain satchel.

Remember, we’re giving away a pair of these exact Loree Rodkin Hunter sunglasses as part of this month’s 944 Detroit Swag.  So register now for your chance to win them.

Tell us what you think ….

A Little Bit Mild: Featuring the Hunter Sunglasses from Loree Rodkin.

Featured Accessories

• Report Signature Vandalia Bootie
• Donald J Pilner Adela Chain Satchel
• Leather and Stainless Steel Cuff Bracelet
• Derek Lam Wool Crepe Dress
• John Hardy Naga Head Sterling Silver Ring
• Loree Rodkin Hunter Special Edition Sunglasses with 18K White Gold Lenses

You’ll remember in late June that a brand new Badgley Mischka sunglass model — the Steve — was spotted on NBA forward Danny Granger at Sama’s West Hollywood boutique.  While the model hadn’t been publicly-released yet, we called up Sama and asked if we could get our hands on two of the Steves for ourselves.

We loved the big, bold frame — especially when coupled with the special edition 24K yellow gold and 18k white gold flash coated lenses from Sama.  The first of the Badgley Mischka Steve sunglasses arrived this week at Urban Optiques and all we can say is “wow.”

Guys, understand that this is not a sunglass for the man who wants to fade into the crowd. Nor is it for the faint of heart.

There is no way that you can put on the Steve and not get noticed.  It’s a very sexy sunglass, made all the sexier by the brilliant genuine 24K gold flash coating on the lenses. We see this working its magic best paired with a fantastic, custom-tailored suit — but Danny Granger shows that you can also pull it off with workout gear (not recommending this, just saying …)

The Badgley Mischka Steve is so new, in fact, that there’s a good chance that whoever buys the first pair will be one of only a handful of lucky men to be first seen in this very cool sunglass.  Will it be you?

Check out the pictures below that we snapped of the Badgley Mischka Steve in the boutique this week.

Badgley Mischka Steve Sunglasses

As we mentioned earlier in the week, Urban Optiques has partnered with 944 Detroit Magazine to give away a pair of fab Loree Rodkin eyeCouture Special Edition “Hunter”  Sunglasses with 18K white gold lenses as part of 944’s new “Detroit Swag” feature.

I won’t go into all the reasons that these are amazing sunglasses worth every cent of their $1,200 price tag (okay, I will: They have genuine hand-cut calfskin leather inserts, 18K gold couture lenses and, of course, the jewelry-grade sterling silver Loree Rodkin signature skulls at the temples.)

The real question on everyone’s mind is how do I wear them?

So to provide some inspiration, we’re putting together five looks this month ranging from mild, to a little bit wild — to completely wild — to show you how easy it is to accessorize these super-lux aviators.

This is a unisex frame, so be patient men … we’ll provide some looks for you also. But today we’re going to start with a cool, urban look that combines the Special Edition Loree Rodkin Hunter with a pair of Alice + Olivia seamed biker pants, Brooke Western Snake Tee, and a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti pumps.

We also tossed in some great accessories that play off from the leather, sterling silver and platinum finish on the Hunter sunglasses, including a vintage Chanel ring, Sonora Leather bracelet and dog-tag style monogrammed charm from Helen Ficalora (you can customize it with your initial.)

All of the elements of the ensemble (minus the Loree Rodkin sunglasses) are available at Shopbop.com.

To enter the 944 Detroit/Urban Optiques giveaway and have a chance at winning the Special Edition Loree Rodkin Hunter sunglasses, visit the 944 Detroit Swag Microsite.

A Little Bit Wild

Okay, let’s just get this out of the way: If you are over 25 you’ll remember a time when “eco-friendly” and “fashionable” would not be uttered in the same sentence.  While Birkenstocks are great for your feet, I’m pretty certain “stylish” was never a term that applied to them.

But over the past few years, all of that has changed. Designers and retailers have come up with all kinds of creative ways to produce truly stylish eco-friendly and sustainable products from recycled materials.  One of our favorites is the Harvey Tote made from recycled seat belts, which sounds utterly horrible until you actually see it.  Turns out that seatbelts can be actually quite beautiful when weaved together into a purse or handbag.

Or take the new Modo ECO Eyewear Collection that we just added at Urban Optiques: More than 25 eyeglasses and sunglass models made from 95% recycled plastic and stainless steel. Not only are they environmentally-responsible, but they also look amazing.

MODO ECO Eyewear: Certified “Green”

The Modo ECO (Earth Conscious Optics) line is an eyewear collection marked by “firsts.” It’s the first optical and sunglass collection to be made entirely of recycled materials.  It’s also the first-ever consumer brand and eyewear collection to receive an Environmental Claims Validation (ECV) from UL Environment (ULE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a world leader in product evaluation. Getting a Environmental Claims Validation is not an easy process, so it’s quite an achievement for the New York based boutique eyewear maker.

Everything about the new Modo ECO line is about sustainability, right down to the packaging. In addition to using recycled and repurposed materials to create the frames, the collection is packaged in recycled materials and each new pair is accompanied by an easy to use mail-in recycling kit that allows you to donate your unwanted frames to charities that help supply eyeglasses to developing countries.

To top it all off, for each pair of ECO frames purchased, Modo donates one new tree to “Trees for the Future,” a non-profit organization that has been helping communities around the world plant trees since 1989.  The trees that Trees for the Future plant are helping reverse decades of deforestation in some of the most sensitive and biologically diverse ecosystems in the world.  Modo ECO plans to plant over a half a million trees in 2010 from sales of their eyewear. We’d like to help them get to one million (more on that in a moment.)

The Modo ECO Eyewear Collection is made up of both acetate (plastic) and metal frames, so it offers a wide range of design, style, color and material options.  We were actually quite amazed when we first saw the line at how well-styled these frames are.  They offer something for just about anyone, from classic metals and plastics, to retro-inspired shapes.

Buy A Pair of MODO ECO Eyeglasses or Sunglasses & Urban Optiques Will Plant 50 Trees!

To celebrate the addition of this fantastic new green eyewear line at Urban Optiques, and to help Modo ECO reach it’s  goal of planting a half million trees this year, when you purchase a pair of Modo ECO eyeglass frames or sunglasses from Urban Optiques, we’ll plant 50 trees on your behalf through Trees for the Future.  Just another great reason to go green with your eyewear.

Check out the new Modo ECO Collection below!

Our friends over at the Destination: Sama boutique in West Beverly Hills just sent us a picture they snapped of NBA basketball star Danny Granger in his new Badgley Mischka “Steve” aviator sunglasses.

The “Steve” sunglass that Danny Granger is sporting is actually a new model from Badgley Mischka Eyewear and Sama and will be released later this month.

Granger is pictured below wearing the “Steve” in gold with 24K gold lenses. We’re still waiting for confirmation from Sama on other color variations, but we do know it will also be available in Clove with special triple gradient-lenses.

If you are interested in pre-ordering the Badgley Mischka “Steve” please give us a call at 248-347-9090 or email us at: seebeseen@urbanoptiques.com and we’ll put you on the V.I.P priority list for this hot new model.

Danny Granger in Badgley Mischka “Steve” Sunglasses

Badgley Mischka “Steve” Sunglasses in Gold with 24K Gold Special Edition Lenses

Badgley Mischka “Steve” Sunglasses in Clove with Special Edition Triple Gradient Lenses

If you haven’t figured it out yet, we adore Sama Eyewear around Urban Optiques.

Why?

Well,  Sama is simply producing some of the most amazing, contemporary couture eyewear on the planet.  Forget about Chanel, D&G, Dior, Burberry and Coach.  Anyone can buy that at Sunglass Shack or Lenscrafters.  If you want something truly unique, you’ll want Sama.

If you don’t believe us, check out this great video filmed at the Angiolucci Lunettes Boutique in Catania, Italy. Not only does it feature some of Sama’s hottest sunglasses, but it also includes some great clips from Sama founder and lead designer Sheila Vance.

It speaks for itself.

The footage includes sunglasses from Sama, Badgley Mischka Eyewear and Loree Rodkin eyeCouture.

Enjoy and Grazie! to Angiolucci for sharing this with us all: